I struggle with the idea of slugs right now, primarily because if I really need the added performance that they offer, I can get it for the same cost (or less) with a .22LR. A good rimfire doesn’t need the expense of an air tank, compressor, or a reseal job when it leaks, and still produces more fpe than almost any air rifle of reasonable/equal cost. There’s also a lot less effort with their set up, as most don’t need “tuning” to shoot well. The right ammo, yes, but tuning, generally no. My understanding is slugs usually take a bit more work to really squeeze everything out of them.
Pellets, on the other hand, fill the void below ~100fpe, are still cheaper to shoot than a rimfire, and easier to get good groups out of. A PCP shooting pellets will still need the same support equipment as one shooting slugs, but I accept that as a necessary evil to gain the flexibility of use that non-firearm, lower fpe air rifles offer.
Now, that all being said, I’m watching the slug space as it makes advancements in design and what have you. When shooting slugs becomes nearly as easy as pellets while offering significant performance advantages, I’ll consider making the switch (or at least adding them in to my current options). I think they’ll reach that point in the next decade, if not sooner!
